favelas are neighborhoods home to a connected community, generally of cariocas, but also with foreigners from other brazilian states and countries, from all walks of life and backgrounds - for many years these neighborhoods have been controlled by criminal organizations and drug cartels, preventing rio security forces from entering and allowing violent crime and danger to flourish in these areas.

the recent economical and political transformations have led the 'polícia pacificadora', a special security force, to enter many favelas in rio, thus establishing a permanent presence, managing a more adequate level of safety for the local population and its visitors.

additionally, crime has decreased in many areas of rio de janeiro, especially in areas near the pacified favelas such as leblon, ipanema, leme, and copacabana which are situated adjacent to vidigal, cantagalo, chapéu-mangueira, and babilônia.